Leeds United: Liam Cooper has just hours left to complete life-changing transfer from Elland Road
Loads of players have been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer but not many football fans would have expected Leeds United captain Liam Cooper to be one of them.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al-Nassr in January opened the floodgates for swathes of talent to ditch big clubs in European football to move to the Middle East.
Neymar, Sadio Mane, Karim Benzema, Riyad Mahrez, Fabinho, N’Golo Kante, Aymeric Laporte and Jordan Henderson are among the biggest names to move to the Saudi Pro League – and Cooper could have been listed alongside those household names earlier this summer.
The Athletic journalist Phil Hay reported on Saturday (2 September) that the 32-year-old Leeds captain rejected a move to Saudi Arabia in the summer transfer window.
It is understood that instead of joining the likes of Ronaldo and Neymar in the Middle East, he opted to stay at Elland Road and has been open to signing a new contract with his existing terms expiring next year.
Unfortunately for the Hull-born Scotland international, he played against Cardiff City on the opening day of the season, scored a goal in the 2-2 draw at Elland Road and hasn’t played since due to an ankle injury.
Cooper’s getting to the back end of his career now.
He’ll be the first to admit that last season wasn’t good enough by his standards as Leeds were relegated from the Premier League. Last term, the ex-Hull centre-back also managed to play just 18 times in the league due to multiple spells out of the side with injury and fitness issues.
Cooper’s not long turned 32 years old and with injury issues mounting and his form not being too great, who’s to say that a move to Saudi Arabia could still be on the cards before their transfer window closes at 10pm (British time) on Thursday, 7 September.
It’ll be a life-changing move for Cooper based on the figures that have been splashed on players from Saudi Arabian clubs this summer.
Of course, he wouldn’t be typically named amongst the likes of Ronaldo, Neymar and Benzema when people discuss the influx of talent to the Saudi Pro League (maybe he’s more on a par with the Jason Denayer signing at Al-Fateh).
But that wouldn’t matter for Cooper if the money is on offer.
If he’s going to have similar injury issues for Leeds this season, who’s to say he’ll even play 50 per cent of the club’s games in the Championship?
And even if he is fit, does he displace Joe Rodon, Pascal Struijk or Charlie Cresswell?
Cooper’s time in the sun at Leeds ended a long time ago, in fairness, and if he was to head to Saudi Arabia in the next 24 hours or so, we wouldn’t begrudge him despite what he told the squad at the end of last season when relegation was confirmed.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay has shared an injury update for a player stretchered off against Cardiff.